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The legal market is big, tough and very competitive. There are many levels and varieties of law firms running in the market today and with detailed research and a clear idea of one’s own preferences, it is possible to score a good opening at any of the law firms, subject of course to their requirements and your talent and qualifications. 

The aim of this article is to provide you with a bird’s eye view of the different kinds of firms that are available and what considerations you should keep in mind when making your selection.

Classification of Law Firms

The various categories into which law firms can be classified today are listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive description, but should provide you with sufficient information to at least make a beginning with the selection process.

City Firms

Long hours of work, good pay-scales and full funding and living expenses supported while doing your Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) & Legal Practice Course (LPC), these firms are the most attractive and in-demand places to begin your career. The competition is extremely fierce; you need to show outstanding potential and capabilities to get a foot in the door.

Medium-sized law Firms

Medium-sized firms will have a good collection of clients and will provide you with an excellent range of commercial practice. Significant portions of the client list will be made up of private clients and some private and regional companies. There is not much scope for international work as would be available in the big City firms.

National law Firms

These firms have a very well-developed network of offices in various regions in the UK, and preferred-partner tie-ups overseas. The work available is a mix of commercial and general practice; the advantages of working for a national firm are reasonably good salary packages and a good work-life balance.

Regional Firms

Their expertise and business is confined to one or two regional hubs, work is a mixture of domestic general practice, some commercial work for locally-based companies and more individual clients. These are a good selection if you’re content to stay on in the UK and insist on a good quality of life.

The Magic Circle firms

The biggest and brightest on the UK legal scene, the Magic Circle is five big firms – Clifford Chance, Allen & Ovary, Freshfields, Linklaters and Slaughter & May. Only the best can aspire to get in to these firms, but don’t expect to do significant work until you’ve paid your dues in the initial few years working on general administration and gopher jobs. 

At Magic circle law firms the salary packages provided are extremely generous and top any listing of remuneration rates’ tables. The work is mainly corporate and commercial, hours can be very long and the work extremely hectic, but there is no better place than the Magic circle firms if you want to make your mark quickly.

US-origin Firms

As the name suggests, these are firms primarily based in the US and with offshoots opening in the UK and other EU countries. The highest remuneration packages make these a very attractive destination for new trainee solicitors, though the annual intake of new candidates is very small and exclusive. The kind of work available is mostly high-end corporate and commercial practice.

International Firms

These are firms with multiple offices across all jurisdictions; the country of origin could be any. There is a lot of transnational work available with frequent travel being a significant highlight. Knowledge of languages other than English is a definite advantage; you will get the opportunity to familiarize yourself with legal systems across the world.

Niche Boutique Firms

These are firms which specialize in a single or few selected areas of practice such as sports & media or IT & telecommunication. Only those interested in the specific work areas in which these firms specialise should apply. Candidates with other-industry experience will usually find it easier here.

In-house Legal Departments

Not many training contracts will be available in the in-house legal departments of large companies, it is more likely that you can find a work placement here as part of your training contract with the City law firms. 

This is an avenue more for solicitors who’ve gathered some experience at law firms and now wish to concentrate on areas particular to the companies’ interests, quality of work-life balance and good income prospects being the two major factors in deciding to work as in-house lawyers.

High Street Firms

These are local firms, usually operating out of a single office and the practice is a mix of family, criminal, private client and taxation. The salaries are less generous than other kinds of firms but trainees will be able to gather expertise and contacts much quicker, and the hours and quality of work are much better than the bigger firms.

Government

A few training contracts are available each year in this segment, typically at local boroughs legal councils or the Government Legal Service, or other public bodies and entities such as the Crown prosecution Service.

Making your Choice

Now that you have a fair idea of the type of firms and work that is available, you should be able to make a reasonably informed decision on choosing the law firm to start work in. Some important factors to also consider before making your final choice are:

Area of practice

Get complete in-depth information on the areas of practice that are available, which firms specialise in what area and what would be your personal preferences and then apply to such firms accordingly

Location

This is important in the sense that you might want to stick around in an area where you already have strong roots, or on the flip-side you are forced to take up a training contract in a particular region because of the demand and completion. Most firms operating around a particular geography would prefer to take on trainees who are able to demonstrate that they will continue with the firm once training is completed.

Work environment

This is an important factor to consider since a significant chunk of your day will be spent at work. How you relate to the people around you or vice versa, the culture and hierarchy at the firm are important points to consider when deciding whether a particular firm matches with your personality and work ethos.

Size

Again, you might find yourself as just a cog in the wheel in large firms with large intakes of trainees, whereas at a smaller or specialist firm you may find more individual attention and focus are provided, but the kind of work or salary may not be so attractive. 

The degree of responsibility offered is also important to consider, no matter how well-structured a training programme is, unless you get hands-on experience in real cases, you will not be able to build up significant experience.

22-09-2009